


strawberry swing

by creaturefromspace



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Dorms, Eventual Smut, F/F, Flirting, One Shot, Pining, Strangers to Lovers, confident!dani, flirty!dani
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:33:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29798187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creaturefromspace/pseuds/creaturefromspace
Summary: It's Dani's first time living in a single room and Jamie's her RA. After a noise complaint causes a brief interaction between the two, Dani can't get Jamie out of her head.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 12
Kudos: 171





	strawberry swing

**Author's Note:**

> So excited to come back into the fandom with this one shot. I've been working on it in short bursts for a while now and finally feel ready to post it. Just a heads up, Dani is written out of character because I thought it would be fun to imagine her as super confident and take Jamie by surprise. I hope you all enjoy!

It was her first year living in a single. She’d spent her freshman and sophomore year sharing a dorm with one other person. Her freshman year roommate had been some random selection from the university. A girl who spent a little too much time worrying about her grades and never let Dani have people over - even on the weekends. There were no tearful goodbyes when they parted ways.

Her sophomore year, she chose her own roommate. A girl who she had met in one of her classes who she’d gotten along with almost too perfectly. They listened to the same music, watched the same reality shows, and were both more than familiar with the partying aspect of college. However, that girl had not the slightest clue what personal space was and was really bad for Dani’s study habits. Despite agreeing they wouldn’t be rooming together ever again, they had remained best friends.

If there was one thing Dani had no shortage of, it was friends. She had a friend for everything. A friend to go to the sporting events with. A friend to party with. A friend to study with for each of her classes. She even had a friend she did laundry with on Monday nights when if you didn’t keep an eye on your washer, someone was bound to come along and empty out your clothes to put in their own.

There was probably a whole list of people she could have tried the roommate thing out with for her junior year of college, but she decided to try things solo for a change. The dorm she’d be living in was composed of only single dorms, and it was right next to the library which worked perfectly, unlike all those late nights she’d spent having to walk home from the library in the two years prior.

Dani set her bag down in her room, approaching the window that overlooked the quad. She was on the second floor, which was also a first for her, and the view was almost breathtaking. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to school on the east coast. Everything was so much more vibrant than it was in her hometown.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, smiling once she saw who the incoming phone call was from. She swiped to answer, bringing her phone to her ear as she reached into one of the several unpacked boxes in her room.

“Hello?”

_"What are you doing, loser?”_

Dani chuckled. “Nice to hear from you, too, Rebecca.”

_"Are you on campus yet?”_

“Of course. My flight got in last night. I’ve spent the whole morning hauling in stuff from storage to my room.”

_"Oh, that’s right. You’re in the singles dorm now, aren’t you? Miss me yet? I mean, we did have some pretty good times living together last year.”_

Dani pulled out a photo frame containing a picture of her and Rebecca with their arms thrown over each others’ shoulders. One of their friends had taken it for them outside of a party. They were completely wasted in that photo, but the memory was still nice. She smiled.

“We did, didn’t we?”

 _"Mhm,”_ Rebecca murmured, and Dani could hear the sound of someone greeting her old roommate on their other end of the line. _"Anyway, what are you doing right now?”_

“Unpacking. I have a dorm meeting in half an hour.”

 _"Skip it,"_ Rebecca said. _"Come into town with me. I want to buy some things for my room.”_

Dani wasn’t normally one to skip out on dorm meetings, but after two years of them, she felt confident she already knew what to expect. Besides, she was on the lookout for a new rug. She bit her lip, making her decision before setting the picture frame she’d still been holding down onto her desk.

“Okay, I’m in.”

_"Cool. Meet me in the west lot in five.”_

The line went dead and Dani slipped her phone back into her pocket. She looked into the mirror that was perched on top of her desk, fixing a few hairs that had strayed. The west lot was right downstairs, so Dani grabbed her purse and headed straight over. She only waited outside a few minutes before Rebecca came by. They met in a tight embrace before separating and beaming at each other.

“Good to see you, girly,” Rebecca said, gesturing towards the end of the lot. “I’m parked this way.”

Another perk of being friends with Rebecca was that she had her own car. It was always convenient to know somebody with a car. Especially in college where things could go wrong in a moment’s notice. They’d already gone on more than a handful of rescue missions when girls they knew were way past drunk and needed rides home.

The drive into town was short. They probably could have walked it if they felt the need to. But Dani’s body was already aching from moving everything into her room and the evening sun was beginning to set. They found a parking spot right in front of one of their favorite shops.

While shopping, they caught up on what had happened during their summer break. Although they followed each other on social media and messaged from time to time, there was still tons to tell. By the time they were done shopping, Rebecca had found a new lamp, tapestry, bed sheets, a shoe rack, and toiletries. All Dani managed was the rug she’d been after. A cow print one that would fit perfectly between her bed and bookshelf.

“We should do something soon. I heard there’s going to be a big welcome back party on Saturday. We could pregame in your room then head out together.”

Dani nodded, stepping out of the car. “Sure, sounds like fun.”

“Thanks for shopping with me. Have a goodnight.” Rebecca paused to call over her shoulder, “Don’t go making out with any strangers either!”

Dani chuckled. It was an inside joke. Last year, after a post-football game party, Dani had been waiting outside by the field for Rebecca and their friends to catch up with her. One of the players from the game was on his way out and paused to make small talk with her. He was cute enough and on a high from winning the game, so when he asked if he could kiss her, Dani decided _why the hell not?_

Rebecca never let it go that she came back to Dani to find her lip-locked with a guy she didn’t even know the name of. According to Rebecca, that was only acceptable while 'drunk off your ass.' It was something silly she had done, yet Dani still found it to be a pretty out of character thing for her to do.

Once upstairs, Dani rolled out her rug and admired the way it looked. Just that one item brought so much life into her room. She unpacked as much as she could before calling it a night and going to sleep. She had a 7:00am class the next morning and she knew she was going to need whatever rest she could get.

\-----

The first week was always the most hectic. There were classes with syllabi to learn, labs to partner up for, new friends to make, old friends to catch up with, and the stressful task of collecting all of the necessary textbooks before homework started getting assigned. Dani barely spent any time in her own room, which is why she was slightly embarrassed to have Rebecca over Saturday night with all the unpacked boxes still occupying the edges of her room.

“Oh, stop it,” Rebecca had scolded her, as soon as Dani started fussing about the mess when she walked in. “You know how much of a slob I am. This is tidy compared to how my room looks most of the time.”

And Dani knew there was no arguing there. Rebecca had won the messiest roommate of the year award in her mind. If it wasn’t a damp towel over the desk chair, then it was a stray bra on the windowsill. Still, Dani sometimes missed having her there when she went to sleep at night. It was nice to know a friend was always nearby if need be.

“Is that what you’re wearing tonight? You look totally hot,” Rebecca said, and Dani gave her a little twirl to get the full effect.

She was wearing a tight black dress that accentuated her boobs the way she knew got all eyes on her. She matched it with a pair of black heels with straps that wrapped around her ankles and straightened her hair so it fell down her back in silky strands.

“Thanks,” Dani said. “You look good, too.”

Rebecca flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I know.”

“So, what’s the plan for tonight?” Dani asked, moving over to her dresser where she’d found the time to set up her radio on top of.

She only had ten CDs with her at the moment, but she popped in one of her favorites and set the volume just loud enough for them to still be able to hear each other. Rebecca took a seat at her desk, whipping out a small bottle of Jack Daniels from her coat pocket. She waved the bottle enticingly at Dani, who immediately went for the mismatched mugs she kept on her bookshelf.

“You bring anything to mix that with?” Dani asked, knowing she didn’t want to take it straight up. She did not have the stomach for that. Especially after a summer of minimal drinking.

Rebecca exhaled dramatically, but reached into her other jacket pocket and pulled out a bottle of Coca-Cola. She poured a good amount into Dani’s cup, being more reserved with her own portion, and then tossed in at least a shot and a half’s worth of the whiskey. Dani took her drink and downed a quarter of it, trying to hide the way she winced. It had been a while since she drank.

“How’s your first week been?” Rebecca asked, picking around in one of Dani’s boxes.

“Good. My psych class is pretty cool. I can tell I’m gonna like it.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Sounds boring.”

“How about you? You have a good first week?”

Rebecca dropped whatever she’d been holding back into the box, leaning forward to face Dani. “Oh, my God. You won’t even believe this. My new roommate is so cool. She already has a liquor stash in our closet and she’s on the softball team so she has all these crazy connections for weed and stuff.”

Dani raised her eyebrows. “Wow.”

“I know, right?”

Dani was reminded all over again why she was thankful to be in her own room this year. Rebecca was too intense to share a room with. But she knew Rebecca would be hurt if she ever expressed that to her, so sometimes she still liked to pretend she wished things were different. Dani decided to joke with her.

“Softball team, huh? You better be careful she doesn’t fall in love with you.”

Instead of laughing like Dani had expected, Rebecca looked confused. She furrowed her brows, lifting her hands up in question.

“What do you mean?”

Dani’s smile fell. “Oh, I just mean- Well, you know, because- Softball players tend to be… you know,” she sputtered.

Rebecca froze a few moments more before bursting into laughter. The sound made Dani relax, whose shoulders had been pretty tense there for a minute. When Rebecca finally caught her breath, she was shaking her head at Dani.

“You really thought I didn’t know what you were talking about, didn’t you? Oh, man. Well, don’t worry about that. She already told me that she’s bi, but she has a serious girlfriend. I met her, too.”

Dani’s interest was piqued at that. “Oh, you did?”

“Mm-hm. She’s a senior. I’ll have to introduce you to them some time. They’re both really friendly.”

“Yeah,” Dani whispered, but her heart was already racing at the idea.

Being from a small town out in the middle of nowhere, Dani still found herself weirdly excited by the idea of gay people. She wanted to know more people in the community. The idea of the non-heterosexual lifestyle intrigued her, and college was a good way for her to get more exposure to it. Especially since she'd been dealing with being extremely attracted to women for a handful of months now. She would never admit any of that out loud, of course. Not yet, at least.

“Turn this up,” Rebecca said, moving over to Dani’s radio to adjust the volume herself.

Back at their dorm last year, her and Dani would play their music so loud, it could be heard from down the hall. That was a perk of living in the dorm with the rowdiest reputation. Dani smiled at her friend, taking another big drink from her cup and welcoming the way it burned her throat on its way down that time.

“Have you seen Viola yet?” Dani asked, settling down on her bed.

“Vi? Yeah, we have a gov class together.”

Dani nodded. “She texted me about the party tonight. I think she wants to meet up with us there.”

“Oh, cool. I knew she was going, but it’ll be fun to hang out. Nobody goes harder than her.”

Dani knew that was true. Viola was the biggest party girl at their school. There was no competition for the spot. Viola could hold her liquor better than anyone on campus, and still managed to come back from even the worst hangovers. She was practically a legend around their school, but to Dani, she was just another friend.

Dani brought the cup to her lips, leaving only a couple more drinks worth in her cup. Rebecca was already refilling hers, showing no signs of tipsiness just yet. Compared to her, Dani was a lightweight, but they still managed to have a pretty good time together.

There was a heavy knock at her door and Dani immediately turned around, following the sound with her eyes. She walked over, pulling the door open in one great swing and eying the person on the other side of it. A girl with dark hair stood in front of her, dressed in a pair of worn-down overalls and a scowl on her face that died away after a moment of eye contact with her.

“Hi,” Dani murmured, immediately captivated by her.

She looked lost for a moment before shaking her head as if to clear it. “Um, is this your room?”

Dani nodded. “Yeah, I’m Dani. You must be one of Rebecca’s friends.”

“Who is that?” Rebecca shouted, and Dani chuckled.

“Or not.”

The stranger shook her head, speaking loud enough for Rebecca to hear her over the music when she said, “No, I’m actually the RA for this dorm. I live a few doors down from you.”

“Oh,” Dani whispered, turning around to face her friend who quickly tucked their bottle of Jack back into her jacket pocket.

Dani hid a giggle behind her hand at her friend’s reaction, turning back around to face the RA. She looked at the girl with a slight tint of pink on her cheeks, hoping she was one of those cool RAs that let things slide.

“Um, what can we do for you, Miss RA?” she asked, and Rebecca burst into laughter behind her.

The RA looked slightly confused, but held her authoritative ground. “You’re playing your music way too loud. There are students in this dorm who are trying to get some work done.”

“Oh, right,” Dani said, gesturing for Rebecca to turn down the radio. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Thanks,” she muttered, once the music had been lowered a significant amount. “You know, you’re not really supposed to have alcohol in your dorm.”

Dani flushed, but leaned up against the doorframe in the most nonchalant way she could manage. “Would you like to come in for a drink?”

This time, it was the other girl who was blushing, and she hid it behind a crossing of her arms. Dani couldn’t help but take note of how sexy her hands looked, like she made good use of them somehow. She eyed them for a second before looking back at the RA’s face. And it was a pretty attractive face as well.

“I don’t think so,” she declined, shooting one last look at Rebecca from over Dani’s shoulder before adding, “Just keep the music down.”

Dani perked up, bouncing on the tips of her toes. “Will do, Miss RA.”

“It’s Jamie,” the girl grumbled, almost too quietly for Dani to hear.

But Dani had caught it, and knowing her name made her insides tingle. She gave an enthusiastic wave as Jamie retreated back down the hallway, disappearing into the room at the end. Dani closed the door behind her, watching as Rebecca burst into laughter from the other side of the room.

“Damn, we could have gotten into trouble the first week back, Clayton. That would have been a new record for us.”

Dani laughed. “No, she seemed cool. I could tell she wasn’t too mad.”

“Guess no more loud music,” Rebecca said, pouting at the radio.

Dani shrugged. “Maybe in your room.”

They downed the rest of their drinks and then headed out, with Dani making sure to lock her dorm behind them. The party they were going to was within walking distance, which meant both of them could get hammered without needing to worry about driving back.

“You know,” Rebecca started, once they were out in the cool, night air, “your RA is pretty cute.”

Dani blushed, smiling. “Yeah, she was.”

“And she was totally gay,” Rebecca added, like it was common knowledge. Dani began to sputter, but Rebecca laughed at her. “Oh, come on. You could totally tell.”

Dani wanted to ask how, but lingering any longer on the subject would only make Rebecca start teasing her. It wouldn’t be the first time she teased her about a girl. But those jokes were only funny to Rebecca because that’s all that they were. Jokes. For the meantime, Dani found it best that she keep her new interest in her RA a secret.

\-----

The following Wednesday, Dani was walking into her dorm building with a care package from her mother. Inside were a few bags of gummy worms (Dani’s favorite), a black thermal shirt, a dozen or so pictures that had been taken over the summer, and a letter telling Dani how much she was missed already. Her mom only sent care packages to her about five times a year, so Dani savored them whenever they came in the mail.

As she stepped out of the elevator and onto her floor, she hummed the tune to one of her favorite songs. The door at the end of the hall opened, and out walked Jamie, her eyes glued to her phone screen. Dani grinned at the girl, stopping in front of her own room so that their paths would cross.

“Hey,” Dani greeted, startling Jamie who jumped a little at the sound of her voice.

Jamie tucked her phone away into her pocket. “Hi.”

“Where are you headed?” Dani asked, leaning up against her closed door.

“Library.” She pointed in the direction of the building. “I have a lot of econ homework to catch up on.”

“Sounds tough,” Dani said, because even in high school, economics had been a struggle for her.

Jamie shrugged. “It’s not too bad.”

The conversation probably should have ended there, but Dani wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. She looked down at the ground, noticing the pair of boots Jamie was wearing. They gave her a slight height advantage over Dani, but she liked it.

“Sorry about the other night. You know, with the music and everything.”

Jamie folded her hands over her chest, but she didn’t look as upset as she had the last time she’d done that. “No worries.”

“It’s my first time living in a single. I guess I just got so used to the chaoticness of the other dorm buildings.”

Jamie nodded. “That makes sense. This one is more strict on the noise policy since it’s so close to the library. All the nerds live here.”

Dani laughed. “Well, that’s just perfect for me, isn’t it?”

She smiled. “You know, I don’t remember seeing you at the dorm meeting last week.”

“Oh, I wasn’t there,” she sheepishly replied. “My friend Rebecca wanted me to go with her to buy some things for her room, and I just figured I’d been to enough dorm meetings to know what they’re all about, so why not miss that one?”

“Yeah, it’s not like anything important was said. We didn’t go over a noise after 9:00pm policy or anything like that,” Jamie said, her lips giving away the teasing manner behind the comment.

Dani felt her cheeks flush anyway. “I won’t be missing any more of them. I promise.”

“Good.” Jamie paused, gesturing towards the direction of the library again. “I should get going. I don’t want to be at the library all day.”

“No, of course not. You should go,” Dani agreed, hoping her disappointment was subtle. “I’ll see you around?”

Jamie gave her a curt nod, looking her over before walking away. Dani couldn’t help the grin on her face as she unlocked her dorm room, pushing her way inside and closing it shut behind her. She set her care package down on her desk and reached inside for a bag of gummy worms. Plopping down onto her bed, she resisted the urge to shriek out of pure elation that stemmed solely from having a casual conversation with her RA. She didn’t want any more noise complaints, that’s for sure.

\-----

On Tuesday, Dani was hanging out in the library with Hannah, her friend and go-to study partner. They had the same major and took a lot of the same classes, but Hannah was a complete genius when it came to any subject, so Dani knew she could help her out no matter what she was taking. They were currently taking a break and making some small talk, mostly about the professors they shared and whether or not they were into their teaching styles.

Hannah mentioned something about a post Rebecca had made about Dani the weekend before, and Dani rolled her eyes as she laughed. Rebecca had posted a video of Dani attempting to do a cartwheel while drunk and managing to land it somewhat awkwardly while she was cheered on by several girls in the background. At the time, it seemed pretty funny to post, but Dani woke up regretting letting her friend put it up. It wasn’t half as amusing the morning after.

“I had a lot to drink that night,” Dani said, attempting to justify her actions to save herself the embarrassment.

Hannah laughed. “I could tell. Rebecca’s a bad influence on you.”

“She’s a bad influence on all of us,” Dani quipped, reaching for her hydro flask and taking a drink of water. “I still remember the night she convinced you to drink with us. I’ve never seen you that wasted before.”

It was rare that Hannah and Rebecca spent some quality time together, but last year, Dani had somehow convinced the two to hang out with her on a Friday evening. And after bribing Rebecca to finish writing up an important term paper by promising to attend a party with her, Hannah was dragged along with them to one of the biggest parties of the semester.

Hannah ended up playing beer pong against a bunch of pros, and she - surprise, surprise - sucked at it. Once completely wasted, Dani and Rebecca got her out of there and spent the rest of the night rubbing circles into her back as she puked all over the communal toilet.

“Oh, God,” Hannah said, cringing at the memory. “I thought we agreed to never talk about that night again.”

Dani chuckled. “Fair enough. But just to warn you, I think Rebecca is going to try and convince you to party with us again at some point this year. Now that we’re technically upperclassmen, she’s dying to celebrate.”

“Not happening,” Hannah assured her, shivering dramatically.

They were still laughing about that eventful night and all the ones after it when someone caught Dani’s eye. Jamie was making her way through the library, and they just so happened to be right in her way. Hannah seemed to notice Jamie too, and when the brunette girl was close enough, she caught her eye and waved her over. Dani looked at her friend in surprise, not expecting the two to know of each other.

“Jamie, how are you?” Hannah asked, propping her hands up under her chin.

Jamie glanced at Dani but remained mostly focused on Hannah. “Can’t complain. I’m just here to print some articles for class.”

“You always have your priorities in order,” Hannah praised. “This is Dani.”

“Um, we’ve met,” Dani said, giving Jamie a bright smile when she looked her way again. “Hi, Jamie. It’s good to see you.”

“Hi, Dani,” Jamie responded, shifting back towards Hannah. “So, what were you two up to?”

“Just telling horror stories from times we drank way too much,” Hannah said, dropping her face into her hands. “But I’m sure you have a few of those yourself.”

Jamie chuckled. “More than a few.”

Dani raised her eyebrows in interest. The idea of her cool and collected RA getting completely wasted was enamoring to her. It made her realize there was more to Jamie than what meets the eye, and Dani already liked what she saw way more than she should.

“Do tell,” Hannah urged, to which Dani quickly seconded the motion.

“Well, I one time ended up running across the quad in nothing but my underwear,” Jamie revealed, with a sparkle in her eye as she looked back on the memory. “That’s the last time I drank tequila.”

“We should party together some time,” Dani blurted before she could even register her own words.

Jamie blinked at her in surprise. “I don’t know. I don’t exactly make a habit out of it.”

“And you think I do?” she asked, to which Jamie scoffed.

“You do remember we share a hallway, don’t you?”

Dani shrugged defensively. “Just because I play my music a little too loud and have the occasional drink does not mean I party all the time.”

“Who do you think you’re fooling, Dani?” Hannah asked, blowing her cool and causing Jamie to smile smugly at having been proven right. "Remember that random guy you made out with after a football game?"

Dani hoped she didn't look as mortified as she felt. "I didn't realize Rebecca had told you that story."

Jamie looked amused, nonetheless. "But you're totally not the partying type, right?"

Dani huffed. “Whatever, I still think we could have a lot of fun together.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” Jamie replied, making her breath catch.

It wasn’t exactly a rejection, but the response was too vague for Dani to make out what it was exactly she was trying to say. It didn’t matter anyway. Hannah changed the subject and then Jamie was headed off on her way to complete what she’d come in the library to do. On her way out, printed papers in hand, she stopped by their table again and leaned in close to Dani.

“Spectacular cartwheel, by the way,” she said, smirking at her before walking away and exiting the library.

Dani knew her face was red, but she couldn’t help herself. Not only was she mortified by the realization that Jamie followed Rebecca on social media and had seen the embarrassing video of Dani attempting to do a cartwheel last weekend, she was also intrigued by the idea of Jamie having social media. She wondered what Rebecca was doing following her, but then remembered that Rebecca followed anyone with their school’s name in their bio. Whatever the reason was, Dani needed to get Jamie to follow her.

“Guess that video got around,” Hannah said, clearly having heard the comment Jamie had made.

Dani was too busy thinking to care. “Guess so.”

\-----

Whenever Dani had the pleasure of eating lunch at the normal hour instead of working straight through it and settling on snacks from the nearest vending machine, she liked to spend that time with Owen. He was incredibly smart, super charming, and always saved her a bit of whatever dish he had made that week in his dorm’s communal kitchen. He honestly would have been the perfect boyfriend, if he wasn’t head over heels in love with Hannah.

Hannah was into him, too, she just didn’t know it yet. Dani had introduced the two of them after a run in at the library their freshmen year, and as far as she knew, the two kept in touch regardless of her presence. But Hannah was the type to be all work and no games, so the chances of her dating were slim to none. Dani thought Owen probably knew that and maybe that was why he hadn’t made his move yet.

Regardless, everyone could see what a match made in heaven the two of them were for each other.

Dani gave Owen a call as she walked out of the cafeteria with her turkey sandwich and cranberry juice, waiting for him to answer and let her know where she could find him. After the fifth ring, she gave up and slipped her phone back into her pocket. She could see Rebecca and Viola sitting together on the quad and made her way over as a last resort.

“Hey, guys,” she greeted, plopping down at the table next to them.

Rebecca put down her salad, chewing behind her hand as she nodded to Dani. “What’s up, Clayton? You hardly ever eat lunch with us. What could we have possibly done to have earned this treat?”

Viola chuckled and shoveled a bite of lettuce into her own mouth while Dani eyed her sandwich. These girls unknowingly made her feel guilty about consuming carbs, and she remembered exactly why she preferred eating lunch with Owen.

“I had some free time,” she lamely explained, unwrapping her food and taking a small bite. “School’s been kicking my ass. It’s unbelievable.”

“Already?” Rebecca asked. “You take things way too seriously.”

“Yeah, you need to relax more,” Viola advised, sipping from her Evian water bottle. “Come with us to this party tomorrow. It’s just what you need.”

“Where is it at?”

“The woods,” Viola answered, wiggling her eyebrows. “Bonfire, beer, boys. Need I say more?”

Dani shook her head. “I don’t know. The woods kinda freak me out. Besides, I hate beer and I’m taking a break from boys at the moment.”

Viola scoffed. “What? Why?”

“Vi, don’t you remember? Her and Eddie split during the summer. The wound is still fresh,” Rebecca said.

Dani shook her head. It really had very little to do with Eddie, the guy who she’d dated on and off for about six months. Rebecca made it into a bigger deal than necessary when they broke up, constantly consoling Dani about issues she never had. But life without Eddie was better than life with him, and after the last time, she never looked back. Hadn’t even really thought about him until just now.

“Rebecca, how many times do I have to tell you that I’m not hung up on Eddie?” she asked. “I haven’t even talked to him in weeks. We’re both past it.”

Rebecca sighed, but didn’t seem convinced. “Whatever. I’m just trying to be there for you. You don’t need him.”

“And when I said boys,” Viola started, flipping her hair over her shoulder before leaning in closer, “I meant to hook up with. Not to fall into a toxic relationship with.”

“Thanks,” Dani muttered, taking another bite of her sandwich. “Although I appreciate you guys looking out for me, I’m fine.”

“Prove it,” Viola challenged, raising a brow. “Come to the party with us.”

Dani took a moment to think about it before signing her name on the dotted line. “Fine.”

Her friends giggled successfully and Dani couldn’t help the smile that broke loose. They were bad influences, but fun as hell. And if there was one thing she could count on about tomorrow night, it was that she was going to have a good time.

As they ate their lunches and wandered off into other topics, Dani felt the time begin to fly by. She was shocked to learn Viola had hooked up with two German exchange students since the start of the new school year and that Rebecca had met some mysterious older guy at the local liquor store who she’d been texting non-stop. The only juicy information Dani had to offer was that she had accidentally scratched her floorboards up while rearranging her room around and would probably be fined big time once the school year was over.

Near the end of their lunch, as Dani was preparing to make her departure and head back into the science building to complete some lab work, Rebecca made a vague gesture in the direction opposite of where Dani was facing.

“Isn’t that your RA?” she asked.

Dani immediately turned around and spotted Jamie, who was walking side by side with Hannah. They two looked engaged in conversation and Dani couldn’t help but stare when Jamie threw her head back in a laugh, putting that big, beautiful smile on full display. She could feel her own heart rate pick up speed and knew her cheeks were flushed, but did her best to hide her reaction when she felt Rebecca nudge her with her knee.

“Um, what?”

“I said, ‘isn’t that your RA’?” she repeated.

Dani still wasn’t all there and felt the heat rush to her face as she sputtered out, “My- She’s not- I mean, c’mon, Rebecca- She isn’t _mine_.”

“What the hell are you going on about?” Rebecca asked, furrowing her brows. “Is that not the girl who knocked on your door because we were playing the music too loud?”

“Oh, uh, yes, that was her,” Dani gushed out, biting down on her lower lip.

“She’s cute,” Viola said, shamelessly staring at Jamie.

Dani stayed quiet. Partly out of annoyance because Viola was a raging bisexual who found everyone to be attractive and made her move on most of them, and partly out of anxiousness that her friends would catch on to her slight crush. Rebecca laughed at Viola’s remark, amused by the other girl the way she always was.

“We follow each other on Instagram,” Rebecca said, catching Dani’s attention yet again. “She’s, like, super into plants and shit.”

“Weed?” Viola asked.

Rebecca chortled. “No, like actual plants. Flowers. You know what I mean.”

“Plants are cool,” Dani mumbled.

“Dani, you couldn’t keep a plant alive if the world depended on it,” Rebecca told her.

Unfortunately, she was right. Before Dani could get swept away into another conversation, she gathered her trash and got to her feet. She said her goodbyes to her friends, promising she’d be present at the party tomorrow night. Her eyes sought out Jamie as she walked away, but her RA was nowhere to be seen.

\-----

What she expected to be a group of fifty people or so ended up being around two hundred, and Dani wondered how in the hell she was going to find her friends in that mess. She spent fifteen minutes wandering around with a cup of beer in her hand that she’d gotten from a keg before she finally spotted Rebecca. Her friend was hanging out with a few girls Dani was familiar with and she quickly made her way over.

“Dani, you came!” Rebecca threw her arms around her neck.

She smelled like alcohol and if Dani had to guess, she was already at least four beers deep. She returned the hug before pulling back, careful not to spill any of her drink as she brought it to her lips.

“This is pretty chaotic,” Dani said, eyeing her surroundings.

There were people doing keg stands off to the right, couples making out all over the place, and a roaring bonfire right in the heart of it all. Music blasted from speakers Dani couldn’t spot and she was probably the most sober one there. For now.

“Have you seen Vi?” Rebecca asked over the music.

Dani shook her head. “No, not yet. Hopefully I can find her soon so that she doesn’t try to say that I never came. The bus ride here was sketchy as hell.”

Rebecca chuckled. “C’mon, Dani. Live a little.”

“I’m trying.”

Dani brought the cup to her lips again, trying not to grimace as the heavy liquid poured down her throat. All they had there was beer, and if she was going to catch a buzz, she was going to need to drink up. She chugged most of it, made some more small talk with Rebecca and the girls, and then left to refill her cup for the second time.

She was more than tipsy when she finally found Viola. She was draped around one of the football players she hooked up with every now and then. Dani began to recognize him after the third or fourth time Viola pointed him out during a game and bragged about how she was continuously rocking his world. Dani approached the two of them, clearing her throat awkwardly to gain Viola’s attention.

“Wow, you actually came,” she said, pulling herself free from the guy. “The big, bad woods aren’t so big and bad, are they?”

Dani laughed, lifting a shoulder helplessly. “I guess not. Being drunk definitely helps.”

“It always does,” she agreed, smirking. “See any cute boys here?”

“I haven’t been looking. No boys for me, remember?”

Viola gave her a wicked grin and leaned in close. “How about girls?”

Dani drew back instantly, and the shock was almost enough to kill her buzz. But then Viola burst into giggles and Dani knew she was only pulling her leg. She relaxed and disguised her brief worry by chugging down the rest of her drink.

“I just wanted to find you and prove to you that I actually showed up. You were right. I did need to relax, and I actually had a pretty good time,” Dani told her, leaning in for a hug. “Rebecca is wasted off her ass. I should get her out of here.”

“Will you guys be okay taking the bus back alone?”

Dani nodded. “Yeah, of course. Will you be okay?”

Viola wrapped a hand around her boytoy’s bicep, smiling widely. “Oh, you can bet on it.”

Dani didn’t question it any further and went off in search of Rebecca. Her friend gave little resistance when Dani dragged her away from the party and over to the bus stop, which was a big relief. The bus picked them up five minutes later and once they were both back on campus, Dani walked her to her dorm before heading over to her own.

The campus was surprisingly quiet for a Friday night. Dani was almost scared walking to her dorm building, and once inside, she quickly closed the door behind her. After taking the elevator to her floor, she tried to be as quiet as possible making her way to her room. There was not a sound in the whole building, something she was still taking some time to get used to.

She nearly shrieked when the elevator doors pulled open and Jamie was on the other side of them. Jamie gave her a weird look, raising one eyebrow questioningly. Dani covered her face with her hand, blushing furiously.

“You okay?” Jamie asked.

Dani stepped out of the elevator, walking past the RA and trying to get her blush under control. “Yup.”

She wasn’t expecting Jamie to let the elevator doors close behind her and follow after her, but she wasn’t about to start complaining about it either. She could hear Jamie’s footsteps trailing her and turned around outside of her room door.

“Want to come inside?”

Jamie swallowed and blinked at her a couple times. “Uh…”

“I just assumed that’s why you followed me...?”

The RA put her hands in her back pockets. “I was actually just making sure you were fit enough to make it to your room. You look like you’ve been drinking.”

“I’m fine,” Dani said, clearing her throat. “Really. And this does nothing to prove your point about me making a habit of partying.”

Jamie chuckled, staring at her for a moment longer before conceding with a nod of her head. Dani was expecting her to walk away then, but the RA lingered behind still, looking Dani over.

“You look nice.”

Dani looked down at what she was wearing. A skirt with stockings underneath and a white tank top with a leather jacket unzipped over it. It was one of her favorite outfits. Now that Jamie had complimented her on it, it was very well her absolute favorite outfit. Dani smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Thanks.” She gestured towards her room, leaning up against the door with a clearer flirtatiousness as she asked again, “So, you wanna come inside?”

There was a moment of silence where Jamie actually looked like she might be considering the offer, but the moment passed and she seemed more sure of what her response would be.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” she said, and Dani felt her hopes die out even though she already knew the chances of Jamie agreeing to were slim.

Dani nodded solemnly to herself. “Some other time, maybe?”

“I’ll think about it.”

The RA gave her a smirk before raising a hand in goodbye and heading off towards the elevator. Dani lingered a moment more before unlocking her door and pushing her way inside. She didn’t regret inviting Jamie inside, despite being rejected. Something told her Jamie had liked the offer.

But maybe that was just the alcohol talking.

\-----

Something about the sight of Owen seated across from her with a tupperware full of something delicious to share always made Dani’s day a million times better. It didn’t matter what she had going on. A test she scored poorly on. A bad fight with Eddie. A infuriatingly attractive RA who would not leave her mopey, pining mind.

No matter what it was, Owen’s cooking always fixed her right up.

“What have you got for me today, Owen?” Dani asked, resisting the urge to clap her hands together in excitement.

He whipped off the lid and slid the container over for her to see. “Chicken pot pie with extra peas. Just the way you like it.”

Dani shoveled a couple forks full onto her plate and took a bite. Her eyes almost rolled to the back of her head. Owen chuckled at her reaction, taking what was left and scooping it onto his own plate.

“You have no idea how badly I needed this,” Dani told him, stuffing another bite into her mouth. “This is glorious, Owen. You’ve really outdone yourself.”

“I try.” He wiped at his mouth. “So, what’s been new with you?”

She set her fork down. “Hm, let’s see. I went to a party in the woods last weekend. It was alright. I ended up taking care of Rebecca and then just crashing in my dorm. I saw a movie with Hannah the other night. Something we had to watch for class.” She paused as Owen listened intently. “Oh, and I have a painstakingly embarrassing crush on my RA.”

That got his attention. “Your RA? You’re kidding.”

“I wish I was.”

Owen smiled in disbelief. “Which building do you live in again?”

“Hey, I’m not telling you! What if you know who I’m talking about?”

“What do you think I’m going to do, Dani? Go up to the guy and tell him how head over heels you are for him?”

Dani glanced down, lowering her voice to a near whisper as she corrected him. “It’s a she, actually.”

Owen calmed down, knowing she was being serious. “I’m very happy for you either way. You know that.”

Dani felt her heart clench. Owen was technically the first person she had ever come out to. It should have been more exhilarating, but Dani felt nothing but safety. Just one friend confiding in another.

“Thank you, Owen. I really appreciate that.”

They ate the rest of the pot pie in peace, letting the delicious food settle in their stomachs a bit before Owen started asking the real questions.

“So, what are you going to do about this crush of yours?”

Dani lifted a brow. “Seriously? I have no idea. I think I made a complete fool of myself. After the party in the woods, I ran into her in the hallway on the way back into my dorm and I kinda invited her inside.”

“Nobody can ever say you aren’t bold.”

She dipped her head. “Yeah, well, it got me nowhere except for a rejection and another night hugging my body pillow.”

“Welcome to my world,” Owen teased.

“Hey, you could change that if you wanted to, and we both know it.”

He raised his hands in defense. “Alright, let’s just stick to your love life, shall we?”

“Fine.” Dani looked away. “I just don’t know what to do. I hope she isn’t mad at me. I haven’t really seen much of her around since it happened.”

“She’s probably busy,” Owen said, shrugging it off like it wasn’t something Dani spent every waking moment overthinking. “If she still hasn’t said anything to you in a week, just go knock on her door. Apologize.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“You’re Dani Clayton. Getting a girl should be a piece of cake for you.”

\-----

A few days later, as Dani sat underneath the shady oak tree in the center of the quad, she almost expected someone to approach her. It was essentially the hub of the campus, and she knew a lot of people. It wasn’t that she was looking for a distraction from her schoolwork, but she definitely wouldn’t be complaining if she got one.

So after about twenty minutes of her sitting all by herself and actually getting a decent chunk of her lab homework completed, she was relieved to catch sight of someone joining the bench across from her in her peripheral. She smiled, glancing up and expecting to see one of her friends.

Instead, she was blessed with the presence of Jamie. Immediately, Dani straightened in her seat, embarrassed by her poor posture, even though the other girl was leaning forward lazily. Dani set her pencil down and hoped it wasn’t obvious that her heart was pounding out of her chest.

“Hi.”

Jamie squinted slightly due to the sunlight coming in through the leaves. “Hi, Dani.”

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

The RA smiled. “I saw you sitting here all by your lonesome and thought I’d come by and see how you were doing. A lot better than the last time we spoke, I’m assuming?”

Dani knew she was blushing. “Actually, I was doing pretty fine the last time we spoke. There’s nothing wrong with catching a buzz from time to time. Even if tipsy me does get a little bold.”

“No, I suppose not.” Jamie glanced away. “Look, uh, about your offer that night… Were you hitting on me?”

“Does that make you uncomfortable?” Dani asked, more concerned with the idea of weirding Jamie out than her potentially not being interested in her. “I mean, Rebecca told me that you were into girls, but I know she didn’t know that for sure, so I’m sorry for assuming and being totally weird about it. She doesn’t always have the best intuition, but I still haven’t learned my lesson by now. Also I shouldn’t have just assumed that I’d be your type even if you were into girls. It was very conceded of me, and-”

“Dani, relax.” Jamie reached for her hand and held it lightly. “I was into it.”

Dani stared at her, lips parted in surprise. “You were?”

“Yeah.” Jamie shrugged. “I didn’t know that you liked girls. Otherwise, I probably would have said something sooner.”

Dani grinned, falling back into her flirtatious groove. “So, now that you know, what do you intend to do about it?”

“How about dinner? We could go to that pizza place in town that sells the really big slices,” she suggested.

“I’d love that.”

“Great. How about Friday? 7 o’clock?”

“Friday seems like forever away.” Dani pouted. “I guess I can wait if I have to.”

Jamie chuckled. “It’s only a few days. I have a busy week.” She ran her thumb across the back of Dani’s knuckles. “Don’t worry. I’ll make it worth your while.”

Nothing more exciting could have been said to Dani. She found her teeth digging into her lip at the thrill that shot through her, nodding in response to Jamie. The RA was smirking and rose to her feet, adding fuel to the anticipation burning within Dani. They briefly exchanged phone numbers before Jamie left for her class.

“Bye, Jamie,” she said, watching her go.

She couldn't get a minute of homework done after that.

\-----

“You’re going to the quad party, right?” Rebecca asked, putting on her red lipstick while she looked at her own reflection in the bathroom mirror.

“Quad party?”

“Yeah, everyone’s going.”

Rebecca said that every time. There wasn’t a single party she talked about that didn’t mean everyone else was already going to be there. It was her way of letting Dani know that if she didn’t tag along, she would be missing out. Normally, that little trick worked on her, but Dani had been more than slightly distracted all week.

“When is it?” Dani asked, swinging her legs back and forth from where she was perched on the countertop.

Rebecca pulled back from the mirror, rubbing her lips together. “Friday.”

“Oh, I can’t.”

Her best friend looked at her. “You can’t? Why not?”

Dani’s smile stretched across her face. “Because I have a date.”

It was the first time she’d said it out loud. Despite seeing Rebecca a handful of times since Jamie had asked her out and also spending time with Hannah and Viola, Dani just didn’t feel like bringing it up. Now that her date was a couple days away, she couldn’t contain herself. She felt like she was going to combust with excitement.

“A date?” Rebecca repeated, not sounding convinced. “And since when did you have time to go looking for love?”

“Hey, I’m always looking,” Dani told her, although that wasn’t exactly true.

Rebecca snapped her fingers as a look of realization overtook her features. “You’re seeing Eddie again, aren’t you?”

Dani made a face. “What? No way. Rebecca, I already told you, I’m over him.”

“Then who is this mystery guy I've heard absolutely nothing about?”

“No guy,” Dani told her, grinning mischievously. “A girl.”

Rebecca’s jaw dropped. “No fucking way, Clayton. _A girl?_ Holy shit, Viola is going to love this. Who is she?”

There was something so comforting about revealing to Rebecca her dual interest in men and women and getting such a positive reaction. It felt almost natural, the way it should always feel for everyone. Dani knew there was a reason she felt so safe in bringing it up the way that she did. Rebecca never judged her.

“You’re gonna love this,” Dani told her, checking the bathroom entrance to make sure nobody was walking in. They were on her floor, after all. “You remember that RA?”

“No. No way!” Rebecca was practically bouncing off the walls. “Oh, my God! I knew something was up. You got all nervous whenever we talked about her. And don’t think I didn’t notice that succulent on your windowsill.”

“Well, she is really hot,” Dani justified, blushing bright red.

Rebecca nodded vigorously. “Oh, totally. If I swung that way, she would definitely be on my radar.”

“Well, there’s a pretty good chance she’s on Viola’s radar, so I should probably tell her that she’s off limits now.”

Rebecca laughed. “If Viola hasn’t already made her move, I think you’re in the clear. You know she goes after any little thing that catches her eye.”

“Good.” Dani felt relieved. “And don’t make fun of me, but I’m a little nervous for the date. I haven’t been on one in so long, and this one is just… different.”

“First date with a girl?”

“Yeah.”

“I think you’ll be fine. I’ve seen you seduce the peel off a banana. It’s your RA who should be worried.”

Dani laughed, her cheeks flushed as she pondered the possibility of her and Jamie actually getting it on. “You think it would be fine if we hooked up on the first date? I was thinking that may send the wrong message. I don't want it to be just a one time thing.”

“Tell her you want to keep seeing her then. It should be a whole lot easier to communicate with girls than it is with guys. And if she asked you out, I’m sure she probably wants the same thing.”

Dani exhaled loudly. “It’s so weird to feel nervous like this. With guys, I didn’t have to think twice. Jamie’s going to be a little trickier.”

“As soon as that date is over, I want details. You better call me and tell me _everything.”_

“Maybe not _everything.”_

_"Everything.”_

They both laughed. Dani knew her best friend was being serious. They’d never shied away from telling each other sex stuff in the past. That was a huge factor in what drew them so close to one another. For some reason, Dani felt like being a bit more reserved with this. And that was assuming anything promiscuous actually happened Friday night.

Rebecca looked herself over in the mirror, sweeping her hair out over her shoulders and admiring her appearance. Dani was already used to her friend’s vanity. It was that kind of confidence that helped build Dani’s own, if she were being honest with herself.

“Let’s get out of here,” Rebecca said, making her way towards the exit.

Dani hopped off the counter and followed after her. They had plans to meet up with a few friends before the football game that night. Dani really only went to the games to give herself an excuse to get out of doing homework. Tonight would be doubling as a way to distract herself from the idea of her date with Jamie.

\-----

When Friday evening finally rolled around, Dani was a nervous wreck. The unfamiliar feeling of anxiousness ate away at her. And no amount of demanded advice from her friends was enough to ease her mind. She glanced at herself in the mirror, unsatisfied with the fishnets she wore underneath her jean shorts and the black lace long sleeve that hugged her torso.

Rebecca’s advice: dress slutty. But this was potentially doing too much. Dani groaned, tempted to stomp her foot in frustration the way she did when she was a child. Instead, she went for her phone, dialing the number for her best friend.

_"Hello?”_

“Rebecca, I am freaking out here.”

_“What’s wrong?”_

Dani sighed. “I’m worried my outfit is too over-the-top. I mean, it’s just a pizza place. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

_"Dani, you’re a young, hot, college student going out on a date with an equally young, hot, college student. Walking into a pizza place in lingerie would be appropriate.”_

"Really?” She was feeling better already.

_"Yes. Now, stop overthinking everything and try to have a good time. If you’re acting all funny, she may not want a second date with you.”_

Dani steadied herself, nodding. “You’re right. I need to calm down.”

_"Take a shot or something.”_

“No.” Dani checked the time on her phone. “I should really finish getting ready. Thanks, Rebecca. I’ll let you go now.”

_"It’s going to go great. Stop overthinking things! Bye.”_

After another ten minutes of mindlessly pacing the small expanse of space in her dorm room, Dani’s phone buzzed with a text from Jamie asking if she was all good to go. It was the first text they had exchanged with one another since swapping phone numbers at the start of the week. Dani smiled at the text, letting her know that she was ready.

A couple minutes later, there was a knock at her door. She went over to answer it, swinging the door back and coming face to face with Jamie. It brought her back to the night they had first met. Only this time, they were way into each other and they both knew it.

“Wow, you look great,” Jamie said, unabashedly checking her out.

Dani looked her over in turn, taking in the dark green trousers and the white button-up shirt only about three-quarters of the way buttoned. The entire outfit was really doing something for her, and she wasn’t sure if Jamie was even trying or not. By the time her eyes made it to the RA’s face, Jamie was flushed.

“Speak for yourself,” Dani told her, giving her a wink before closing and locking her room door behind her.

They began their journey to the pizza place right in the heart of their little college town. Dani played with her own fingers, tempted to reach out for Jamie’s hand, but second guessing herself one too many times to go through with it. Still, Jamie’s hand lingered at her side, temptingly close.

“How was your week?” Dani asked, remembering the other girl had said she was going to have a busy one.

“A lot better now,” Jamie replied, smiling at her. “I told Hannah about tonight. I hope you don’t mind. She was pretty excited about the whole thing. Very politely demanded about a hundred details from me once the night has ended.”

“Really? I saw her twice this week and she didn’t mention anything.” Dani thought it strange, but said no more about it. “I told a close friend. Then Rebecca - who had the exact same reaction as Hannah - and then she told Viola.”

“Viola?”

Dani chuckled. It was rare she came across someone who wasn’t well aware of her gorgeous friend. She was a little relieved that her and Jamie were still strangers, despite Viola assuring her that Jamie was off her radar for good. It was just extra reassurance.

“She’s a friend,” Dani explained. “They were both really happy for me, which meant the world. I hadn’t told them that I liked girls.”

“Who did know?”

“Me.” Dani smiled at Jamie. “And then you.”

They made it out of their dorm building and onto the sidewalk next to the main road, making good time in their matching strides. Dani passed by several people she knew along the way, offering them kind greetings as she passed. Jamie only smiled at her with a curious look in her eye until Dani asked about it.

“What?”

Jamie shrugged. “I didn’t realize you were so popular.”

Dani laughed. “I’m not.” Jamie raised an eyebrow like she didn’t believe her. “Okay, I meet a lot of people going to parties.”

“Speaking of parties, there’s supposed to be one on the quad tonight.”

“I didn’t expect you to know about that.”

“I may be an RA, but I don’t live under a rock,” Jamie said, teasing.

Dani chuckled. “I know that. If I recall correctly, you mentioned something about being a bit of a party girl yourself.”

“I wouldn’t go that far. A couple times a month at most.”

A moment passed before Dani said, “My friends wanted me to go to that party tonight. I’d much rather be here, with you.”

“That makes two of us.”

When they reached the pizza place, Jamie opened the door for Dani before letting herself slip in behind her. Dani appreciated the gesture and insisted on paying for their slices. She got a slice of mushroom and pepperoni. Jamie ordered a slice of bacon and sausage.

They found a table near the back of the place. It was pretty packed, but that was to be expected on a Friday evening. Their slices came out quickly, and they wasted no time diving into them. There wasn’t much talking while they ate.

Dani finished first, tossing her used napkin onto her plate and admiring the way Jamie ate her last few bites. They smiled at each other, agreeing that was the best pizza either of them had ever had. Dani suspected it was the company that made the food taste so good.

“Thanks for suggesting this place,” Dani said, sipping from her water. “Rebecca would never eat here with me. Her and Viola count calories.”

Jamie made a face. “I hate that. Hannah and I are constantly pigging out with Owen. We come here together at least once a week. Even more often than that during finals week. You should join us next time.”

“Wait, you know Owen?” Dani asked, pleasantly surprised.

“You can’t know Hannah without knowing Owen. Those two are practically attached at the hip,” Jamie said, chuckling to herself. “If only they’d date already. It’s almost like they get a kick out of keeping the rest of the world waiting.”

“I introduced them, you know.”

“No kidding.”

“Seriously,” she insisted. “I just have a way of sensing when two people are really going to hit it off.”

Jamie leaned in with that delicious smirk of hers that made Dani’s knees weak. “Quite the gift.”

“It has its perks.”

A shadow fell over their little world and a familiar figure came into view. Dani immediately felt her stomach drop. Suddenly, the delicious pizza she’d just consumed was starting to feel like a huge regret. Jamie caught onto her uneasiness and looked over her shoulder, catching sight of who Dani was staring at. Enemy number one stepped towards her.

“Dani, how are you?”

“Eddie,” Dani acknowledged. “What are you doing here?”

“Same thing you are, I presume. The pizza here’s delicious,” he said, smirking to himself.

The two guys he was with laughed at his side and Dani knew they were caught up on who she was. It was just like Eddie to brag to others about having dated her. She was the best he would ever get and everyone knew it. She almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

“Well, you should get back to it then. Enjoy your meal.”

“Wait, who’s your new friend?” Eddie asked, stepping closer to Jamie.

Dani seethed. “Actually, she’s my date. Jamie, this is my ex-boyfriend.”

A look of understanding came onto Jamie’s face. “I see.”

“Your date?” Eddie repeated, frowning angrily. “What do you mean, Dani? You never mentioned anything about being into girls.”

“It must not have been any of your business, then,” she responded, shrugging innocently.

His friends stopped looking so amused, and Eddie was practically fuming at being made to look like a fool. Jamie seemed to have read the room pretty well and got to her feet, extending a hand out for Dani. Without any hesitation whatsoever, Dani accepted it, rising to her feet. Jamie’s hand felt so soft in her own.

“Have a nice night,” Jamie said to him.

Eddie said nothing.

They left the pizza place, and even once outside, neither let go off each other's hands. Instead, their fingers intertwined more purposefully while their hands swung loosely between them. When they were a decent distance away from the place, Dani decided to address what had happened in there. Unfortunately, she didn’t think it was fair to pretend like it had never happened like she wanted to do.

“I’m sorry about that. I haven’t seen him since I broke up with him over the summer. I’ve been ignoring all of his calls and he was bound to act like a jackass the next time I saw him anyway. That was just really bad luck running into him with you.”

“I understand,” Jamie said. “It isn’t easy running into an ex. I think you handled that pretty well.”

Dani smiled at her. “Thank you. And thank you for not making it into a big deal. I’m pretty sure anyone else would have escalated things in there. Or given up on the date completely.”

“He wasn’t worth our time,” Jamie said. “And he definitely wasn’t worth costing us our pleasant evening.”

Dani looked at the brunette, feeling her fingertips tingle against Jamie’s skin. “It isn’t over yet.”

That was the first chance of many to come that Dani was giving Jamie to back out of fooling around with her in her dorm room. Judging by the smirk on the RA’s face, Jamie wasn’t uncomfortable with the idea just yet. And Dani only grew bolder in her approach.

They managed to make it to their building and up the stairs without any interruption, which had been a slight fear of Dani’s considering most people would be out and about tonight. Once out of the elevator, they slowly made their way over to Dani’s door. She unlocked it before anything else, turning around to face Jamie with a nervous pit in her stomach.

“Thank you for tonight,” Dani said, staring purposefully at Jamie’s lips.

Instead of replying, Jamie stretched forward, planting her lips on top of Dani’s. Her lips were a lot softer than she was prepared for, and Dani found herself absolutely melting into the kiss. She gripped a fist in Jamie’s shirt, bringing her in closer than before. Dani barely found the strength to pull away for just a moment.

“Want to come inside?” she asked, breathless in the best of ways.

Jamie nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”

And then Dani was pushing her way inside of her room, closing the door and locking it behind her. Jamie was right at her heels, pushing her up against the door and kissing her with more fervor than before. She pressed her tongue into Dani’s mouth and Dani’s knees went weak as a moan slipped passed her lips.

She figured she should have been more nervous than she actually was now that things were getting real. She was inexperienced as hell when it came to having sex with a woman, and she felt this undeniable pressure to impress the girl in front of her. However, Dani was more excited than anything else. Never before, had she been as aroused as she currently was.

When they broke away for a moment, Dani began pulling off her boots, tossing them off to the side so that they wouldn’t be in the way. Jamie kicked off her own shoes, briefly wrapping a hand around the back of Dani’s neck to reunite their lips together in a hot kiss before Dani pulled her long sleeve shirt over her head.

Jamie stared at her chest. She was wearing a bra, but the look in the RA’s eyes had Dani believing otherwise. She glanced down at her own chest to make sure she hadn’t actually forgotten to put one on. It wouldn’t be the first time that happened to her. But once she realized she still had one on, she gave the other girl a puzzled look.

“What?”

Jamie shook her head, dazed. “You’re beautiful.”

“C’mon, I bet you say that to all the girls,” Dani said in a breathless laugh, reaching for Jamie and wrapping her arms loosely around the back of her neck.

Jamie swallowed. “There are no other girls. I mean, I don’t really date. At all.”

“What?” Dani grinned, convinced she was being toyed with. “You really expect me to believe that? Look at you!”

“I’m incredibly busy. It isn’t often I meet someone who’s worth my time.” She locked eyes with Dani. “Someone like you.”

And Dani believed her then. There was a look in her eye that said she was being completely truthful. She closed the gap between their lips then, sticking her tongue in Jamie’s mouth so that the other girl knew just how into her she was. Jamie held her close.

“I don’t really date either,” Dani said, pulling away to light the candle that was on her dresser.

“We ran into your ex tonight,” Jamie pointed out, turning around to face her. “And you’re not supposed to have candles in your dorm.”

Dani peaked at her over her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m kinda hooking up with my RA and she’s cool with it.” She set the lighter down and turned back to face Jamie again. “And my ex doesn’t really count. We met at a party and went to a couple football games together before it turned serious. I hadn’t meant to fall into a relationship. Not like I’m meaning to now. With you.”

Jamie’s eyes caught on something over her shoulder and Dani turned around to try and find what had stolen her attention away. All she could think of was the tiny succulent she had left out by the window. It looked really lonely all by itself, but at least it was still alive.

“Are you a plant person?” Jamie asked her, stepping forward.

Dani shook her head, finding it impossible to lie to Jamie when she was looking at her like that. “No, I kinda got it because of you.” And when Jamie raised her eyebrows in question, Dani added, “My friends follow you on Instagram and told me you love plants. I suck at keeping them alive, but I thought I’d give it another shot.”

“That’s about the kindest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

Dani felt her heart soar. “Yeah?”

Jamie closed the gap between them. “Yeah.”

The two began making out again, falling onto Dani’s bed together. Their hands explored each other’s bodies over their clothing, thrills shooting up and down Dani’s spine every time Jamie’s strong hands brushed over her bra. She reached behind herself to unhook it, pulling it down her arms and tossing it off to the side.

While Jamie was busy admiring her, Dani began to strip herself of her shorts and stockings. When left in nothing but her favorite pair of lace panties, she raised her eyebrows expectantly at Jamie.

“You’re a little overdressed, don’t you think?”

Jamie glanced down at what she was wearing and smiled sheepishly. “I guess so.”

She began to unbutton her own shirt, but Dani reached forward to help her do it instead. Her slim fingers made it easy to slide each button free, and she eagerly pulled the shirt down Jamie’s shoulders once it was loose enough. Jamie worked on kicking her trousers off.

“You have a really hot body,” Dani told her, watching the way Jamie’s muscles moved as she stripped herself of her clothing.

“Thanks. So do you.” Jamie gave her a once-over. “A _really_ hot one.”

Dani was probably the most confident person she knew. She loved herself, and she had received plenty of compliments on her appearance over the years. Yet, somehow every time Jamie told her something flattering, it still made her cheeks warm. Interesting.

Jamie stretched forward to kiss Dani again, pressing Dani’s back onto the mattress until she was hovering over her. When it came to guys, Dani always let them take control in the bedroom. Now that she was with a girl for the first time, she was starting to reconsider her role in the bedroom.

Dani’s hand began to wander as Jamie kissed her heatedly, drifting closer and closer to the waistband of Jamie’s briefs. Strong fingers wrapped around her wrist, keeping her from going any further. Dani pulled away from the kiss, pouting.

“You first,” Jamie said, her eyes darker than usual.

There were no words Dani could find, and so she nodded feebly and let Jamie set her hand back to where it had been resting before. Jamie kissed her lips until they felt raw, and then moved over to her neck to suck hard at the skin there. Dani knew there would be marks in the morning, but she didn’t care. She wanted them there.

Jamie moved down her body, pausing to lavash Dani’s chest with kisses before continuing on towards Dani’s waist. There she stopped to lick a trail down from her navel and over to the inside of her right thigh. Dani’s sensitivity level there was high, and she found herself squirming for Jamie’s mouth to move just a little more to the left.

“God, I want you,” she whined, looking down at Jamie from where she rested between her parted thighs.

Jamie looked smug. “All you had to do was say something.”

Then in one swift motion, the RA tugged off Dani’s panties and had her tongue buried deep between her thighs. Dani keened, gripping her bed sheets tightly in her fists. Out of the handful of times Eddie had ever gone down on her, none could even begin to be compared to what Jamie was doing to her in under thirty seconds.

Jamie ate her out like she did it for a living. It had become suddenly more unbelievable to think that Jamie didn’t date often. Maybe she was just naturally skilled at that sort of thing. Dani wasn’t complaining. Couldn’t even if she wanted to.

“Oh,” Dani breathed, biting her lip hard to keep from being too loud. “Yeah, that’s- that’s it right there.”

Jamie’s tongue swirled expertly around her clit in a pattern that had Dani gripping her freshly washed sheets. She could feel her own arousal coating her skin and dripping down onto the bed. She’d never been that turned on in her life.

Cautiously, Jamie slid a finger inside of her. Dani could hardly even feel it, so the RA added another one for good measure. And when she pushed those two fingers into Dani all the way to the knuckle, Dani couldn’t keep in her gasp of pleasure.

“Fuck,” she cried, widening her legs further.

She needed to feel _more._

Jamie’s fingers found the pace to match what her tongue was doing just above them, and Dani saw stars. It was an interesting feeling to be so close to coming already. If she wasn’t doing the work herself, it was rare she even came at all.

But this… This was beyond comprehension. So she stopped trying to figure it all out. Lost herself fully in all that was Jamie. Jamie’s hands, Jamie’s mouth, Jamie’s skin hot on hers.

Dani’s eyes shut tightly as she moved an arm up to her mouth, stifling her noises of pleasure. And when she came, she came hard, biting down roughly into the soft flesh of her forearm. She could feel her own heart pounding.

Jamie moved back up her body, setting a pair of still wet fingers on Dani’s bare stomach. Dani shivered.

“That went a lot better than I thought it would. I suspected I’d be a little rusty after all this time,” she said, a little cheekily.

Dani grinned. “You were amazing. First time I’ve ever come that hard.”

“Alright, I officially feel like a badass now,” Jamie joked, making them both laugh.

Dani wondered if it should have been awkward afterwards. It always was with Eddie. When he would slump over her and turn to his side, usually dozing right off to sleep. And she would be left to lie awake and wonder why sex wasn’t all it was hyped up to be.

She looked over to Jamie who was staring up at the ceiling, a peaceful look on her face. She could tell the other woman had no expectations. Wouldn’t even give it a second thought if Dani didn’t return the favor to her tonight.

And yes, Dani was anxious about pleasuring another woman for the first time. She knew there was more to it than when she was with Eddie. But she didn’t care. Couldn’t care when Jamie caught her eye and smiled that glorious smile of hers.

“Would it be okay if I tried?” Dani asked.

Jamie stared at her. “You…? Yeah. Yes.”

Jamie’s obvious eagerness and slight anxiousness eased Dani’s nerves a little bit. Despite the inexperience, she was still able to intimidate the brunette somewhat. She leaned in to kiss Jamie softly, but it quickly turned into much more than that once she got a taste of herself on the other woman’s tongue.

“You’re so hot,” Jamie told her, pressing her tongue against Dani’s own once again.

Dani groaned. Jamie was a sensational kisser. She was the best at everything, it seemed. Dani hoped she could deliver a performance even half as good.

She kissed her way down Jamie’s body, thoughts racing all up until the moment Jamie’s boxers were finally discarded of and she was left between parted thighs. Jamie was looking at her like one touch would disintegrate her.

“Keep watching me,” Dani instructed, locking eyes with Jamie even as she pushed forward to brush her tongue against her in a steady stroke.

Jamie’s lips parted, but she did not turn away.

One stroke followed another and then before Dani knew it, she had set her own pace for herself spurred on solely by the noises coming out of Jamie’s mouth. All the meanwhile, they never broke eye contact.

That was, until Dani slipped a finger inside of her. Then Jamie shut her eyes tight and let out a noise that made Dani crave a round two for herself already.

“You’re going to give me a noise complaint,” Dani said, teasing the woman who was uncharacteristically loud in bed.

Jamie chuckled breathlessly. “Don’t worry. I’ll have a little chat with your RA and let her know it wasn’t your fault.”

Dani wanted to ask how she was doing. Wanted to know if she was getting Jamie any closer to that sweet release that had been bestowed onto her. But the moment Dani got her tongue back to work, she no longer needed to ask.

Jamie’s back arched and she began muttering a series of curses that only had Dani moving faster. She was on a high, knowing she was giving another woman that much pleasure. Thought that she probably could have kept going on like that for forever. And when Jamie finally came, it was truly a sight to behold.

“I can’t wait to do that again,” Dani said, flopping back down onto her pillow. “And again and again and again.”

Jamie laughed. “Just give me a minute to catch my breath.”

“I didn’t mean right this very moment,” Dani replied, laughing right along with her now. “Although, I wouldn’t complain...”

“We have all night long,” Jamie said, her eyes glinting invitingly. “And I’m only just beginning with you.”

It was the greatest thing Dani had ever heard.

\-----

“So, how’d your date go?” Rebecca asked Dani when they met up the next day.

Dani hummed contentedly. “Oh, I’d say it was just about the best date in the world.”

“You score?” Rebecca asked, her tongue peeking out the side of her mouth as she grinned.

“Boy, did I.”

They burst into giggles, squeezing one another tight. Once again, Dani couldn’t help but stop to appreciate how cool her best friend was handling the shift in her sexuality. It made it all the easier to be happy for herself for finally finding somebody worth her time.

“So it’s serious then, isn’t it?”

“I sure hope so,” Dani answered, although she knew for certain that it was. “She’s coming to my room later tonight. I can’t get enough of her and I'm pretty sure she feels the same way about me.”

“That good, huh? And just to be clear, you’re not interested in sharing?”

Dani shook her head. “No way. But by all means, please take Eddie off my hands.”

“No thanks. I’m pretty sure Viola is going to be bugging you insistently until you tell her everything about your incredible date with the sexy RA.” Rebecca bumped her shoulder against Dani’s while Dani rolled her eyes in amusement. “Hey, in all seriousness, I’m really proud of you, you know that? You’ve grown so much since we met.”

“Yeah, well, I had an amazing best friend to help me.”

Rebecca pulled her into a warm embrace, resting her head on Dani’s shoulder. “I love you, Clayton.”

“I love you, too.”

“There’s a party next Friday on the west side of campus. Come along and bring Jamie with you,” she said, pulling back.

Dani smiled. “That sounds like a lot of fun. You guys could get to know each other better.” Another realization struck her. “And I’ve been meaning to see her let loose at a party. She’s kinda been teasing me about it since forever ago. It’ll be perfect.”

“Can’t wait.”

Dani felt her phone buzz from her pocket and pulled it out, smiling as she read a message from Jamie letting her know just how excited she was about seeing her that night. Sex was heavily implied. Shortly after came the notification that Jamie had requested to follow her on Instagram. It was impossible to keep her giddiness under control.

Moving into a single dorm was the best decision she’d ever made.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!


End file.
